The Unwanted House (AU)
by Remus's Boggart
Summary: Being a Malfoy meant a lot of things, you couldn't show fear or weakness. It meant that you bowed to nobody. Being a Malfoy meant you were in control not anyone else. Being a Malfoy also meant being in Slytherin. One thing, I wasn't.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One:**

She had known before she had ever set foot on the Hogwarts Express, that the sorting hat would sing before the actual sorting began. But she hadn't been told how stale the song was going to be. She sighed and looked over at her brother, a sneer of contempt creeped onto his face.

"Draco." She said quietly. Draco rolled his eyes at her, but didn't bother to school his expression, why should he? She gave up and looked around the hall, surrounding her were her could be housemates. She recognized a few of them, others were complete mysterious. Were they pureblood, half-blood or muggleborns? She, herself, knew that she, deep down didn't care. They were all here to learn, same as her. The school song came to an end, and she raised her hands to clap, but her brother glared at her, his own hands folded across his chest. He refused to clap for that, so she followed his lead.

Professor McGonagall stepped forward, in her hands she held a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will sit on the stool and the hat shall be placed on your head and you shall be sorted." She said. "Abbott, Hannah!"

A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, the hat was placed on her head and she sat down, the hat fell over her eyes. A moment's pause…

"HUFFLEPUFF!" The hat shouted and the table on the far left burst into cheers. She saw Draco's lip curl and she could tell what he was thinking. Hufflepuff were branded the weak and the unwanted ones, she would rather be placed in Gryffindor then be in Hufflepuff.

The sorting carried one, with Bones, Susan also went to Hufflepuff, and Boot, Terry to Ravenclaw, as did Brocklehurst, Mandy. She smiled as her friend Bustrode, Millicent was sent to Slytherin, Millie was one of the few children, she was allowed to hang around with. While she'd been thinking, McGonagall had called out several more names, the next to be called with Granger, Hermione. She finally had a name to put the face of the annoying girl that had gone round the entire train looking for a toad. If she had to admit it, she knew she would have joined Hermione Granger to help look for the pet, but her brother took control of the situation and Granger had left the compartment almost in tears.

She raised her eyebrows as she heard the hat call out Gryffindor, she'd expected Ravenclaw for Granger. Finally, Morag MacDougal was sorted and finally it was Draco's turn.

"Malfoy, Draco" McGonagall called. Her brother strode confidently towards the stool, sat and then the hat was being placed on his head. It touched the tip of his head before the hat called out.

"SLYTHERIN!" Draco smirked, as if he had known all along that the hat would call out Slytherin. After Draco had taken his seat at the Slytherin table, her name was called out.

"Malfoy, Gemini."

Gemini stepped forward and forced herself to raise her head, she was putting on a confident air, after all Malfoy's never show fear. She sat down on the stool and McGonagall put the hat on her head. She waited, repeating the house Slytherin over and over in her head.

"Slytherin, hmmm?" The hat said. "That's where all Malfoy's want to be."

 _Of course_ Geminireplied in her head. _It's the only honourable house in the school._ She felt the hat chuckle at her statement, but it was laughing more out of mocking than amusement.

"The only honourable house?" questioned the hat. "Tell me what you really think of all the houses?" He asked.

 _Slytherin takes after the honourable Salazar Slytherin, only taking the purest of mind and blood, Ravenclaw is almost as good as Slytherin, where the those who seek knowledge go, but they have less ambition, less drive than Slytherins. Gryffindor is where the foolhardy, reckless and more often than not, stupid go and Hufflepuff…Hufflepuff is worse than Gryffindor, for that is where the cowards, weak ones and unwanted go._ Gemini said, repeating what she had been told for many years. The hat chuckled mockingly once more.

"Gemini Malfoy, I see all in these young student's heads, tell me what you really think of the Houses" The hat asked.

 _I think that there is no good house, each house has it's good and bad points, Slytherin for example, it's great because people are ambitious, but it's got a bad reputation, which separates it from the rest of the school and the people in it don't do anything to help it._

Gemini said, she could feel herself shaking a little. If she had told anyone else her view point, her father would have cursed her.

"Gemini, I think Slytherin would do you no good. The house which actually suits you quite well is….

HUFFLEPUFF!"

You could hear a pin drop in the Great Hall, no one moved and there was certainly no applause. Gemini shook as she stood up.

"There must be some mistake!" Draco called from the Slytherin table. "She belongs in Slytherin, not with the cowardly weak Hufflepuffs!"

"Mister Malfoy." Said Professor McGonagall. "Please seat down and be quiet. Miss Malfoy, please go join your housemates at the Hufflepuff table. Gemini nodded and slowing began to walk over to the table. Suddenly someone started clapping. She looked up from the floor to see an older boy smiling at her, as he applauded, he nudged his friends into doing the same and gradually the whole of Hufflepuff was applauding. They all looked confused, but not hostile.

She took a seat at the end of the table, next to Susan Bones. She felt tears prick at her eyes, what would her parents say? She looked over at Draco, who had a funny expression on his face, it was a mixture of contempt and sadness. She looked over at the sorting hat, as Harry Potter, famous Harry Potter, she could hear her brother say in her head, be sorted into Gryffindor.

A stab of jealousy and anger ripped through her as she saw Blaise Zabini be sorted into Slytherin. She wanted to cry out at the unfairness of it all. Zabini wasn't ambitious or cunning and yet, he got into Slytherin, so why not her? She took a deep breath and looked up at the headmaster. Well, there was nothing she could do about it now.

"Welcome!" Called out Headmaster Dumbledore. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words, and here they are Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"

The headmaster took his seat as the hall applauded. Gemini did slowly. She looked up to see Hannah Abbott, who had been sitting in front of her, to be replaced by an older student, she bore the prefect badge.

"Are you alright?" She asked.

"No. I don't know" Gemini said. The girl nodded and now looked sympathetic.

"I've heard about the Malfoy family, my father works for the ministry, so he's met your father a few times. I understand Malfoy, that Hufflepuff wouldn't have been your first choice, it wasn't mine. But you'll find friends, like I did. I'm Eloise, Eloise Boot." Eloise held out her hand and Gemini gingerly took it. Eloise looked pleased as she drew back her hand. Gemini barely listened to the other first years around him. She had been looking over at the Slytherin table, wishing that she was there, with her brother next to her, where she was supposed to be.

As the food disappeared at last, Professor Dumbledore stood again. The hall felt silent.

"Ahem…just a few more words now that we are all fed. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. A few of our older students would do well to remember that. I have also been asked by Mr Filch, the caretaker, to remind you that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors."

"Quidditch trials shall be held in the second week of term, anyone interested in playing for their team, should contact Madame Hooch. And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to anyone who does not wish to die a very painful death." Several people laughed at this and Gemini looked around, her brother looked serious. This would be reported back to their father.

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" Dumbledore said. At the staff table, the teacher was smiling, but it looked forced. Gemini glanced around at the Hufflepuffs, and saw that most of them were smiling. Dumbledore gave his wand a flick and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the table and twisted itself, snakelike, into words. "Everyone pick their favourite tune," said Dumbledore. "And off we go!"

Gemini's hand flew up to her ears as the sound of the school singing off key reached her ears. She squeezed her eyes shut, praying that the racket would stop. No one was singing the sae tune, or at the same pace. Beneath the table, someone nudged his foot, Gemini looked up to see Eloise nodding towards the banner. Gemini shook her head and looked down. Eloise shrugged and carried on bellowing out the school song.

"Ah, music," said Dumbledore as it finally came to an end. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

The students and staff rose and at each table, the older students were calling out follow me and leading the younger ones out of the hall towards their house dormitories. Gemini followed the tide of Hufflepuff students. She followed them down the stair in the opposite direction of the dungeons, where Gemini knew the Slytherin house was. She grimaced a little as she saw the common room, it was done in a very bright yellow with dark black edging it. Gemini watched as everyone stay in the armchairs, couches or on the floor around her. She took a seat on the floor, it was done in a soft black colour and was very comfortable. A few moments later, the door to the common room opened again and in came Professor Sprout, the head of house for Hufflepuff.

"Well, hello Hufflepuffs!" She said excitedly. "I just wanted to give you the basics tonight, because I know you're all probably very tired. Boys' and girls' dormitories are separated and there is one dorm for each year within that. You'll shall be receiving your timetables tomorrow at breakfast. Please obey Professor Dumbledore's instructions regarding the off limits area."

"Beyond that, I've only got two more things to say; as your head of house. I hope that you will feel free to come to be with any problems you should encounter, I am here for you no matter what. Now last but not least, Hufflepuff is often side-lined as a house, but we have an advantage few realize exist. It's true Hufflepuff 'took the rest' as the Sorting Hat says, but that does not mean that Hufflepuff consists of mediocre witches and wizards—instead it means that here in this house we combine the traits of all the other three. Our house's founder strove for unity, I want you all to remember that and do the same. Strive every day to embody the qualities of all the houses of Hogwarts; and it will make the best witch or wizard out of you that you can possibly be.

Gemini did not owl her father immediately that night, for she didn't know what to say. She sighed as she saw the other four of her female classmates' chatter into the night. She rolled over and looked out the enchanted window. Maybe Hufflepuff wouldn't be so bad.

 **Word Count: 1998**

 **AN: Hey, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter, as I did reading it. This original story came from the idea of a student who hated his house. I decided that Hufflepuff isn't a house that many people like, although I think it's a brilliant house. So I chose it to be that one.**

 **Anyway please follow favourite and review if you want and I hope to see you here next time I upload a chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two:**

The following morning, Professor Sprout arrived to lead the first-years to the Great Hall, not wanting them to get lost on their first day. She greeted each first-year with a nod, their name and a smile as they passed her to go through the portrait. They walked all the way to the Great Hall, where they sat down, instantly conversations began around Gemini, who wasn't included in any of them, not that she cared. She stabbed her spoon into her boiled egg, glaring at it. It was yellow, just like Hufflepuff.

It wasn't until after Transfiguration, where Gemini had a whole free hour before lunch, that she finally saw her brother Draco. She pulled him into a hug, not caring about how Malfoy's were suppose too be seen.

"Come on, Gemini. We'll go to Professor Snape, he'll sort this." Draco said, taking Gemini's arm. He pulled her down to the dungeons. As they came across the Potion's classroom, they heard their names being called and turned around to have a loudly squeaking female launch herself at them.

"Draco! Gemini!" It was Pansy. Draco patted her shoulder awkwardly, while Gemini hugged her back. Draco and Pansy had been betrothed since birth and they had spent a lot of their childhood together. "Oh Gemini! It's awful, I've got to deal with Greengrass, Davis and Bustrode on my own! Did you owl your father? Are you going to see Snape? Is he going to fix it?"

"Pansy, please have some decorum," Draco said snobbishly. "We are going to see Professor Snape"

"Oh good," Pansy sighed. "He has this hour free, too, so you won't be bothering him." She grabbed Gemini's hand and squeezed it. "Good luck, Gemini"

Gemini squeezed back, as Pansy skipped off, Gemini longed to call her back to ask if she was to remain in Hufflepuff would they still be friends? Or would they become strangers? They reached Professor Snape's door and knocked.

"Come," barked a voice, and Draco opened the door. Gemini looked around the room as she walked in, it looks as much as she had expected it would. Snape was sitting at his desk at the front of the classroom, glaring down at a piece of parchment. He looked up as Draco shut the door and nodded to the siblings. "I've been expecting you, but before you ask, there is no way to change houses once the sorting house has chosen." Gemini nodded, she oddly felt relief? Draco, on the other hand, looked furious.

"But…but, she can't be a Hufflepuff!" Draco said. "Malfoy's have always been Slytherin's, there must have been a mistake!"

"A Malfoy in Hufflepuff. I never thought I would see that." Snape commented ignoring Draco's outburst, he looked at Gemini. "Have you heard from your father?"

Gemini felt the blood drain from her face, as she realized that her father hadn't sent her letter, he might not know, they could keep this whole thing from him.

"Does…does he already know?" Gemini asked fearfully.

Snape nodded. "He does. I received an owl this morning from him, asking whether it would help to take the matter to the Headmaster, I told him that I would not, but I fully expect him to do so anyway." Gemini looked at the floor and Snape walked over to her.

"Gemini, your father will have to face that fact that you are Hufflepuff, and that that is where you belong, as will you." His voice was unusually soft.

"It's not that." Gemini whispered. "Well…Hufflepuff doesn't seem horrible, exactly, but…I know Father won't be pleased. At all, he will be very angry, I've brought shame to the House of Malfoy" Gemini sounded very afraid, then, and Snape frowned and knelt down to her level.

"Gemini, Draco, your father…Lucius doesn't… take out his frustrations on your does he?" Both Gemini and Draco looked at him in confusion, before Draco understood and his eyes went wide.

"No!" He yelled. "How dare you? Father would never hurt me…us. Gemini just doesn't like disappointing him…right Gemini?" Draco turned to Gemini. Gemini squirmed under the gaze of her brother and Professor Snape.

"He doesn't hurt me, not physically, just sometimes he says stuff, like how I'm weak. I had to be in Slytherin, to prove him wrong." Gemini whispered. "It's fine Professor, honestly." Gemini met the Professor's eyes and she felt the uncomfortable sensation that her thoughts were being…taken or something. Snape nodded.

"Well, as I said, Lucius will have to accept that fact that he has a Hufflepuff daughter." He said flatly. "If that is all?" Gemini nodded. "Go then." Gemini thanked him cordially and they both left.

At lunch that day, Gemini was surprised to see Eloise coming to sit down next to her. The other first years, had been ignoring her and were sitting further up the table, one in a while they would shoot a glare at her, or look at her and then laugh as if something was funny about her.

"I managed to get to the library this morning," Eloise told him, starting a conversation. "Though there was already a bunch of Ravenclaw's there…and that Gryffindor, Granger." Gemini peered around Eloise to look at the bushy haired Gryffindor. "Yeah her, anyway, I got something for you." He pulled out a library book out of his school bag, setting it next to Gemini. She looked at it interested.

"What is it?" She asked.

"It's about Helga Hufflepuff," answered Eloise. "It talks about her life, her relationship with the other founders and her contributions to the school. As well the life of the first students to graduate from Hogwarts, as Hufflepuffs, I thought it might help."

"Help what?"

"Don't that this the wrong way. But you don't seem exactly comfortable being a Hufflepuff or eager to join in" Eloise said nodding towards the other first years. Gemini scowled.

"They," She began. "Are ignoring me. Not, the way round, not that I want to talk to any of those mudbloods." Gemini regretted the words, as soon as they fell out of her mouth. Eloise's mouth tightened.

"The book is to be returned next Monday, make sure you return it by then." Eloise said sharply.

"Eloise…I…" Gemini started.

"That's Prefect Boot to you" She cut in before standing up as she stood she said to Gemini. "You know, I thought being a Malfoy sorted into Hufflepuff, you'd be different, not into that blood purity stuff, but I see you're all the same." With that she left, to sit with her fellow sixth years.

Gemini started to stand to follow her and apologise, as well as at least _try_ to explain. She always hated her parents talks on blood purity, she always felt sick after them and deep down she knew that it was stupid and wrong, but years of that been drilled into her head caused her to automatically believe it.

But as she stood, the family owl came flying in, dropping a letter in front of her. She glared back at the owl, who had given her a stern, even angry hoot before it flew off without waiting. Gemini sighed and she slowly opened it.

 _Gemini,_

 _I will be meeting with the Headmaster and Professors Snape and Sprout. As always I will remedy this problem you caused._

 _Lucius A. Malfoy._

Gemini dropped the letter on the table and tried to think about how this meeting would go.

In the end, the "meeting" between her father, the Professors and the Headmaster had gone a lot differently, that Gemini had thought. It ended up with Professor Sprout yelling at her father, with righteous indignation, while Professor McGonagall, (Who had come running, the moment she heard that Lucius Malfoy was in the castle), glared threatening at Lucius from behind the other witch, sometimes calling out in support of her fellow head of house. Lucius would respond with poorly veiled threats, and turned every now and again, to Professor Snape, imploring him to do something, or to the Headmaster, threatening to use his influence and seat on the Board of Governors to have him removed. Dumbledore merely sat calmly, behind his desk and twinkled ever more brightly at Gemini, who slowly was sinking into her seat. She hated this and in this moment she hated her father.

"…absolutely ridiculous!" Professor Sprout was yelling. "This happens at least to one student every year! Parents need to learn to accept their children, not try to make them replicas of themselves!"

"How dare you presume to challenge my rights as her father!" Lucius hissed back. Gemini bit her lip. Finally, the Headmaster stood and the two adult fell silent.

"There have been cases in the past where a student has been allowed to try the hat on one more, but not in any case has the hat changed its decision," said Headmaster Dumbledore. Lucius made to speak, but Dumbledore held up his hand, continuing with. "Perhaps, we should ask Gemini what she wants."

Gemini suddenly sat up, as four pair of adults eyes were fixed on Gemini, who shifted about uncomfortably. "Would you care to try on the Hat again?" Dumbledore asked, gently. Gemini glanced around the room, her father was staring at her, telling her to put on the hat and make it say Slytherin. Professor Sprout looked at her with an encouraging smile. She breathed in and thought about her short time in the Hufflepuff House, she had liked it there, and Eloise did seem to want to be her friend and Gemini knew that she wanted to make that right and being in Slytherin wouldn't help that.

"Well…" Gemini started. She couldn't believe she was going to do this; she had always followed her father or brother before. "I think I should stay in Hufflepuff" She said slowly, but quickly added as she saw her father's face. "The hat probably won't change its mind anyway and…"

"Hufflepuff is a fine house to be in." Professor Sprout said.

"Of course you would say that!" Lucius hissed back at her, Professor Sprout looked ready to yell at him again, when Gemini stood up.

"Father…" She said, Lucius didn't dare look at her, he looked furious. He schooled his face quickly and turned to Dumbledore.

"Headmaster, I require a moment alone, with my daughter." Dumbledore looked at the old grandfather clock which stood in his office.

"I'm afraid Lucius, that it is time for Professor Snape and Sprout to return to teach and I have a lot of paperwork to complete, beginning of the year and all, maybe at Christmas, you can talk this over. There is no need to fret, Lucius, Professor Sprout will take good care of your daughter." Dumbledore said, calmly as he walked over to the door, he opened it and Lucius scowling walked out. He stopped when he was next to Gemini.

"We will talk about this." Gemini bit her lip harder and tears threatened to fall. Dumbledore quickly closed the door as Lucius left the room.

"Well then! For remaining firm under pressure and displaying admirable loyalty to your house, Gemini, ten points to Hufflepuff." Dumbledore said. Gemini smiled a small smile and Professor Sprout looked pleased.

"I have a class to teach." Snape said, heading for the door. "Good day." Professor McGonagall left with him.

"I'm sure you'll go far in this house, Gemini. I'm here if you ever want to talk, now I know that Prefect Boot, has a free period now, she's normally in the common room." Professor Sprout said winking. Gemini smiled again. Gemini looked over at Headmaster Dumbledore, who motioned for her to leave and she rushed out of his office.

When Gemini reached the entrance to her common room, she quickly tapped the beat to Helga Hufflepuff on the three barrels that guarded the entrance to the Hufflepuff Common Room and found Prefect Boot sitting in the corner reading. She walked up to her and stood by her. Prefect Boot looked over.

"Prefect Boot, I want to apologise for my comment at lunch today, it wasn't a nice thing to say…and…" She paused, and took a deep breath, this was second time today she would do something unexpected and that went against what her father had told her. "I was wrong, they are not…not…that, they are witches and wizards and not any less than purebloods." Gemini let out her breath and crossed her fingers hoping what she said was right.

Prefect Boot, looked her up and down, before nodding.

"I guess, you're only back to collect your stuff then." She said stiffly. Gemini looked confused and Prefect Boot went on. "Charlie Bucket, saw your father coming into Hogwarts, we guessed it was to change your house and as you're here instead of moping somewhere, I guessed your coming to get your things…" She trailed off, realizing that maybe her logic, didn't work out as it had in her head.

"No, well yes my father did come to try and change my house…but I told him I wanted to stay here." She said. Prefect Boot's face lit up and she smiled widely. She quickly told the rest of the Hufflepuffs what Gemini had said, when her friend asked what a Malfoy had said to get her smiling.

An hour later, as she was waiting for the start of charms. She smiled to herself, as the rest of the Hufflepuff first years sat around her, while they may not be starting a conversation with her, they weren't excluding her and didn't seem to mind as she listened to their debate on whether a werewolf could survive on the moon.


End file.
